


Meet the Parent

by IRegretNothingAndEverything



Series: HLVRAI Requests [21]
Category: Half Life VR But The AI Is Self Aware
Genre: Cuddling, Darnold be like is nervous, Darnold uses she/her in this fic, F/M, I love her but it's alright I promise, Old Movies, Panic Attack, Wearing Each Others Clothing, g-man has no pronouns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27144995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IRegretNothingAndEverything/pseuds/IRegretNothingAndEverything
Summary: Officially meeting your partner's parent as their partner is... nerve wracking. Even if you've met them before you were together.
Relationships: Tommy Coolatta/Darnold
Series: HLVRAI Requests [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939135
Comments: 1
Kudos: 50





	Meet the Parent

**Author's Note:**

> Request: Can we get some fluffy family Coolatta headcanons? Maybe some cute ones with them bonding with Sunkist. I just love that one piece of art that has them chilling on a bench at the park and enjoing the day. Maybe one HC with G-man meeting Darnold. Tommy is super excited to introduce his boyfriend to his dad.
> 
> this is not fluff.... oops. But it's nice so uhhhh this is what happens sometimes shrug emoji.

Darnold wouldn’t say she was nervous about meeting G-Man, really, she wasn’t. After all, Darnold knew that G-Man’s main priority in life was taking care of Tommy, making sure that Tommy was alright and happy, and Tommy had told her before that she makes him happy, so obviously there was nothing to worry about.

Keep saying that, and maybe, eventually, she’ll believe it.

Of course she was nervous! G-Man was Tommy’s father! And, okay, sure, maybe Darnold had met G-Man before, of course, but not like this! They were dating now! That was an entirely different ballpark than meeting your friend’s father. That was her boyfriend’s father now, and Darnold really felt like she may or may not be devolving into a deeper panic, but it was fine, it would be fine-

“Darnold!” 

Oh shit.

Tommy caught her hands, carefully untangling her fingers from her hair-which, shit, now she was gonna have to redo that, and it took time, which meant they were gonna be late and-

“Darnold.” 

Right, right, focus on Tommy. Darnold pressed her face into Tommy’s chest, making a soft keening whine, and Tommy wrapped his arms around her carefully.

“It’s alright, you’re alright. Try and match my breathing, alright?”

Simple enough task, sure. She could do that. Eyes closed, pressed against Tommy’s chest, feeling the way it moved, forcing her own to move in tandem with it until her breathing calmed, her hand stopped shaking, and Darnold huffed, eyes still closed. 

“I’m gonna cancel.” Tommy murmured, and Darnold pulled back, eyes wide. 

“What?” 

“It’s not your fault! I’m just worried that it’s... this is causing you this much anxiety. Dad’ll understand, I promise.” 

Darnold wanted to fight the notion, but realized that she was going to need help to stand, and thus conceded to his point. “Fine... but apologize to G-Man for me anyways?” 

“You don’t need to apologize, love, but alright.” Darnold nodded slightly, leaning back against the bed, pausing for a moment. 

“Can I wear one of your hoodies?” 

“Of course.”

She grinned. 

* * *

They curled up on the couch together instead, Darnold settled on Tommy’s chest, watching old movies that Tommy had to reconnect the VCR for. Darnold didn’t mind too much, despite the grainy film. It was nice, actually, curled up in one of Tommy’s large hoodies and a pair of sweatpants also stolen from Tommy, though rolled up quite an amount to fit her legs instead of walking all over the legs of the pants. 

Darnold was drifting when someone knocked on the door. She groaned softly, but Tommy prodded her to get up so he could open it. Instead, she slid off his chest, stumbling a bit on her feet, and shuffled to the door. 

When she opened it, she found herself thinking that perhaps she should have left it to Tommy. 

As the house they were in was built to fit Tommy’s height, G-Man didn’t need to duck down to be seen past the door, and Darnold just stared at G-Man for a moment, feeling as if she were about to collapse in on herself in shame. 

Instead she blinked, staring up at G-Man, and, before G-Man could utter a word, turned, leaving the door open, to peek into the living room. “Tommy, your dad is here.” 

Wow, her voice was shaking. Tommy sat up, eyebrows furrowing, but Darnold just walked past, into the bathroom, to which she promptly locked the door and sat against it. Faintly, she could hear Tommy talking to G-Man and focused on that. 

"Sorry, she’s uh... a bit nervous about this.” 

“I’ve... met her before.” 

“I know, I think it’s the different context now? Now that, we’re, we’re dating? She’s probably just worried about that.” 

Oh, fuck, of course he already told his dad. Of course. She let her head fall back against the door with a dull thud, then pulled her head away from the door, down so her chin hit her chest, since she didn’t want to start that bad habit up again. 

“I... apologize for worrying... Darnold. I did not realize I would... cause such panic.” 

“No, I don’t think it’s your fault! She’s... she is just really- generally nervous about a lot of things!” Tommy’s voice was getting closer. Fuck. “Darnold?” 

“Mmmmmrph.” She replied. 

Perfect. 

She knew how words worked. 

“Darnold, can you open the door for me?” 

Ever patient with her, ever worried, and Darnold just huffed, standing carefully, and unlocking the door, opening it to face plant directly into Tommy’s chest. 

Tommy hummed, wrapping an arm around her, carefully moving away from the bathroom. She shuffled along with him, keeping her face directly in his chest. If she did not see G-Man, she could not fee the shame that was threatening to drown her. It was fine. 

“I just...” Ah fuck G-Man was talking now, fuck, she was gonna just die, die right here with her face in Tommy’s chest, the only place to die. “wanted to be sure you were... alright.” 

Wait pause. 

Darnold shifted slightly, pulling away from Tommy, realizing they had gotten farther than she thought, and were right near the couch. She looked to G-Man, who was standing near the now shut door, hands clasped in front of G-Man’s chest, wringing together nervously. 

“I’m... alright.” She confirmed, sinking onto the couch. “Just... I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m so-” 

“Darnold.” Tommy interrupted, and Darnold narrowed her eyes at him, but did not continue the thought. 

“It is... quite alright. I am familiar with... anxiety attacks.” G-Man said simply. “I apologize for... being the cause of it.” 

Darnold shrugged. “Tommy’s been unknowingly the cause of quite a few, I’m just... nervous about everything.” She forced a laugh, but didn’t get one back. “I’m fine, really. I feel a lot better from earlier, and I still am sorry for making Tommy cancel.” 

“If it was up to you I wouldn’t- we would have still gone, and you would’ve been worried the entire time.” Tommy countered, and Darnold huffed slightly, laying her head on his shoulder. 

“You got me there.” 

“If there is... anything I may do to.... make up for this-” 

“G-Man, promise you, it’s alright.” Darnold smiled towards G-Man, who nodded slightly. “We can just... do dinner again at a later point, when I’m not worried you’re gonna threaten to skin me alive if I do anything to hurt Tommy.” 

Silence followed. Darnold blinked. 

“Well, maybe not exactly that but...” 

“You make... Tommy happy. In the chance you... stop doing so, my progeny can care for... himself.” G-Man said simply. “I have... no need to threaten you.” 

Darnold nodded slightly, bringing her legs up to hold onto quietly. Tommy wrapped an arm around her, glancing towards G-Man, who smiled back. Tommy hummed. “Wanna watch old movies with us? Might be more comfortable than dinner somewhere new.” 

G-Man hummed, but did not answer audibly, instead moving over to settle on the far side of the couch. Tommy shifted, dragging Darnold against his chest again as he lay down. Darnold huffed at him softly, but settled there instead. 

Commentary from the both of them flew over her head, as it became obvious they had seen most of these movies together before. Darnold focused on the sound of it, rather than the words, letting herself drift a bit in the comfortable noise. 


End file.
